Organs of Special Sense (Eye)§ 4.79Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6090Diplopia (double vision):

Rated under § 4.79. No rating levels have been extracted for this code yet — use the official source.

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In short

Summary

Rated based on degree of diplopia and equivalent visual acuity: (a) Central 20 degrees — 5/200 (1.5/60); (b) 21 degrees to 30 degrees: (1) Down — 15/200 (4.5/60), (2) Lateral — 20/100 (6/30), (3) Up — 20/70 (6/21); (c) 31 degrees to 40 degrees: (1) Down — 20/200 (6/60), (2) Lateral — 20/70 (6/21), (3) Up — 20/40 (6/12).

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This code has no itemised criteria in our copy of the schedule. Use the official source link for the controlling text.

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note: In accordance with 38 CFR 4.31, diplopia that is occasional or that is correctable with spectacles is evaluated at 0 percent.

Diplopia (Double Vision) — VA Disability Rating (Diagnostic Code 6090)

Body system: Organs of Special Sense (Eye) · Rated under 38 CFR § 4.79

Understanding Diplopia

Diplopia, commonly known as double vision, is a condition of the eye. Under the VA rating schedule, it is evaluated based on the degree of diplopia and the equivalent visual acuity it produces. In practice, this means the VA translates the field where double vision occurs — and its direction — into a corresponding visual acuity value used for rating purposes.

How the VA Evaluates Diplopia

The VA assigns an equivalent visual acuity depending on the field of vision affected (measured in degrees) and the direction of the diplopia (down, lateral, or up):

(a) Central 20 degrees

  • Equivalent visual acuity: 5/200 (1.5/60)

(b) 21 degrees to 30 degrees

  • Down — 15/200 (4.5/60)
  • Lateral — 20/100 (6/30)
  • Up — 20/70 (6/21)

(c) 31 degrees to 40 degrees

  • Down — 20/200 (6/60)
  • Lateral — 20/70 (6/21)
  • Up — 20/40 (6/12)

As shown above, diplopia affecting a more central field generally corresponds to a lower equivalent visual acuity, while diplopia in the outer ranges (31 to 40 degrees) — particularly in the upward direction — corresponds to a higher equivalent visual acuity.

Important Note

  • In accordance with 38 CFR 4.31, diplopia that is occasional or that is correctable with spectacles is evaluated at 0 percent.

This overview is based on the VA rating criteria under Diagnostic Code 6090, § 4.79. Individual evaluations depend on the specific findings documented in your case.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.79, diagnostic code 6090. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 6090 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Organs of Special Sense (Eye) codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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